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Topic: Is the new Zune upgrade really an upgrade? (Read 9387 times)

I don't get why every seems happy about the Zune "upgrade" this week. From my perspective, the tradeoffs achieve parity at best. Here's how I see the score:

Desktop softwareI'm really horribly underwhelmed here. Sure, part of this is a bad feeling due to the mangling of my catalog (80% of the content was erased from my device, the collection was mangled, and no matter what I do, I seem to be stuck with a cover image from Megadeth applied to Dan Levinson & His Canary Cottage Dance Orchestra). To me the Genre and Year lists were more important than the Album lists, I'm going to miss them. They destroyed one playlist by deleting its tracks from the device, and I can't build it back up because it was generated from the Year view.

Device softwareDevice FirmwareThe interface is more visually attractive, but it seems like they sacrificed function for form. There's still a huge missed opportunity that must be a marketing decision, that the device's file system will not be available to the desktop. This is terrible, and for what reason?

Advances

Wifi sync that I don't use

Slightly loosened restrictions on music sharing (that I don't use)

Go to artist option (I think that's new), but why not other Goto's?

Declines

Album view contains less information -- artist isn't shown unless the album is selected.

For non-upgraders, EQ has been removed

I may have missed something in those brief lists, but if so, it's not something that's important to me.

Judging from these things that I've noticed, it seems far from clear that the situation is an improvement, more like just a ... change.

If they could give me back the desktop Genre and Year lists I would be less dissatisfied, but even so, they can't give back the 3 hours I wasted putting my collection back in order after they mangled it.

Ah. Because the reviews of the Zune 2 left me with the impression the hardware is very much better (real glass instead of clear plastic, bigger display, 4-way jog-pad thingie) but that they only made marginal "improvements" to the software.

Does Zune let you play non-DRM mp3 files?

And do you have to use the sucky client, or can you drag-n-drop like a USB drive?

The hardware may be better, but I have to say that the construction of the 1Gen device is pretty good.

Yes, it plays non-DRM MP3 as well as non-DRM WMA. Also WMV.

Yes, you have to use their sucky desktop software. There is a hack that allows you marginal access to the filesystem, but it doesn't work very well, and I haven't heard yet if it works with the new software.

I'll have to disagree with you there. Even if you didn't void your warranty by flashing your device with a custom firmware, I would recommend anyone who would like those formats to buy a device that already does it natively. My reasoning for this is simple; If people keep purchasing these devices with very limited format support (iPods, Zune's etc.) and flash them with 3rd party firmwares to use unsupported codecs, it doesn't give the companies any incentive to add support for these formats in future versions of their devices. After all, the only language they understand is money and when people keep giving them just that, why would they do anything differently in the future?

One company that offers such devices is Cowon. They have devices which does both FLAC, APE & OGG in addition to the usual MP3, AAC, & WMA codecs, and this is what I want to see from the big players in the market as well...

Eh, the Cowon is only 8GB at best, which sells for $ 219. IPod is available in 60 GB models, even the older ones. When using flac, more space is needed to carry the same number of songs. I think that the only way I can be convinced to buy a cowon is if they make 60 GB models. 8GB is far too less for flacs.

Eh, the Cowon is only 8GB at best, which sells for $ 219. IPod is available in 60 GB models, even the older ones. When using flac, more space is needed to carry the same number of songs. I think that the only way I can be convinced to buy a cowon is if they make 60 GB models. 8GB is far too less for flacs.

They do have 20 & 30GB models (the X5(20/30) & M5(20) ones), but it isn't 60 as you say so it that's a requirement it would probably be best to look elsewhere. Still, I'm sure there has to be other companies delivers similar functionality in their devices. Oh and also, I do know that some of the Cowon modles can use SD/MMC cards to extend the storage, so that could be an option as well I suppose.

I always like to root for Cowon. I hope they do well. Incidentally, their offices are across the street from me.

I'm still debating what to get next though. I'm sick of my iPod Nano. It really kind of sucks. Battery life is crap. Dial is very finicky and overly sensitive. Resets positions when I'm x minutes into a 1 hour podcast and not sure exactly where... iTunes sucks. Grrr... I just want something that works right and is easy to use. The iPod falls short there. I've been thinking about the new Zune, but I'll wait for more reviews. I'm in no real rush as my iPod Nano battery still lasts an astounding 2 hours and sometimes even as much as 2.5 hours on a full charge!

If you think the Dial in the Nano is finicky, you have to try the latest generation. A disaster. Add to this the small size of the player, and you can say Apple killed their best iPod product. I have big hands and fingers, though, so there may reside some of my problems with the tiny player.

You may want to take a look to the Sansa e200 Series, they look pretty good.

There are still independent musicians and others who want to share the music that they make with others, but without the Zune "3 plays" restriction. Right click on a music file, click on the “Details” tab, and then change the Genre to “Podcast” as shown below. Click “okay”, and the 3-play restriction is void.

Is something anyone which knows how to click the right button of their mouse, select "Properties", "Advanced" and change the music genre of the file can do. So, yes, an obvious and HUGE DRM hole. Which would be fixed by the next firmware, anyway, unless Microsoft wants to fight the RIAA and all the pack (they would get all my support).

This isn't really much of a DRM hole. In order to make the required change, you've got to start with an MP3 file, i.e., no DRM on the file. If you've got a non-protected MP3 in your hands, than wifi distribution via Zune is only a convenience; you could still post the file on your web site for the world to download, totally independent of the Zune.